ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Orange County's budget hearings are over and leaders considered everything, from slashing department budgets to making taxpayers pay more to fill the gaps. But the one department that had no real cuts was the sheriff's office.

Commissioners spent hours hammering out the budget Thursday. Almost everyone's taking some kind of a cut, from the convention center to corrections to fire, but not the sheriff's office.

When Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings walked into the county commission, he didn't come right out and say it.

"As we fight crime, we're trying to do it differently than perhaps we've done it in the past," Demings said.

However, he hinted he wasn't spending money like his predecessor.

"Sometimes government is criticized as not being fiscally responsible. I really want to change that as it relates to the Orange County Sheriff's Office," he said.

Former Sheriff Kevin Beary drew criticism for spending thousands on elephant guns and golden parachutes for his top aides, but always went back to commissioners for more.

This time, Demings isn't asking for more, but instead wants to hold his budget steady at nearly $184 million. It's still the largest of any department in the county.

Sheriff Demings insists he's doing more with the same money, partly by reassigning more than a dozen deputies, taking them off of desk duty and putting them out on the street.

Shoppers in Pine Hills said they've noticed the change.

"I have seen more of a presence of cars and things and it does seem like there's not as much bad activity going on," Orange County resident Vanessa Graves said.

"What I'm saying to the public is that I will not ask for an increase in the sheriff's budget until I'm absolutely confident that we're spending what we already have appropriately," Demings said.

The one thing Demings couldn't promise is how union negotiations will affect his budget. The county's financial experts say next year's budget for the sheriff could include talk of raising taxes or cutting service if things don't change.